The work is expected to take 18 months and covers 27 miles

A $128 million project to repair and repave sections of Interstates 64 and 264 in southside Hampton Roads got underway Monday night.

Virginia Department of Transportation officials announced the project on Monday at the agency's operations facility in Virginia Beach.

The work is split into three phases, with a different contractor on each. Segment 1 is on I-64 from Little Creak Road bridge to Curlew Drive and I-264 from Claiborne Avenue bridge to Broad Creek bridge. Segment 2 is on I-64 from Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel to Little Creek Road bridge and Segment 3 is on I-264 from Witchduck Road to Parks Avenue.

VDOT Hampton Roads District Administrator Jim Utterback called the project his top priority. he said VDOT crews have been patching the interstates for the past 12 months, with a combination of temporary and permanent repairs. The rehabilitation and paving project is designed to improve the roadway and extend its life by about 15 years, in addition to filling potholes.

"Hopefully the major pothole issues challenge we've had on the south side will be memory to all of us," Utterback said.

Dwayne Cook, VDOT regional operations director, said the work requires lane closures, but crews will work Sunday through Thursday at night. He said VDOT will limit weekend work and will suspend construction during holidays and "significant event weekends."

Utterback said, "We're not planning on daytime closures during the week," noting traffic volume climbs from Memorial Day weekend through summer, with visitors to southside beaches and vacationers heading to the Outer Banks.

VDOT Construction engineer Bud Morgan said there may be times during the overnight construction work when sections of interstate are reduced to a single lane in one direction, but "there will be at least one lane open at all times."

Cook said lanes on all interstates would be open during peak travel times. Night work may begin as early as 7 p.m., but Cook said "the roadway will be open by 5 a.m. on all days."

Morgan said the work will take about 18 months. Crews will start with concrete patching, then install asphalt, which will raise the roadways and improve the durability of the surface and provide a smoother ride.

Utterback, Morgan and other officials asked drivers to be careful in the construction zones. Utterback said he knew of three specific accidents when crews were working on the interstates last summer.

"Those really were motorists not paying close attention to the signage and the lane closures."

Segment 1 covers 10 miles on interstates 64 and 264 and is expected to be finished by November 2015. Segment 2 is on 5 miles of I-64 and is expected to be completed by the end of November. Segment 3 is the longest, covering 12 miles. Officials expect to complete it by November 2015, also.

The total project includes repairing and repaving 163 lane miles, including westbound and eastbound lanes on the interstates, officials said.